Messy Hair & Odd Socks

Bourjois Colour Boost

2013-06-18T14:44:00.002+01:00

T-B: Red Sunrise, Peach on the Beach & Orange Punch (£7.99).

Oh my, I do like these babies. I was randomly strolling around Superdrug looking for an eyebrow pencil, and came out with these beauties (and an eyebrow pencil...and possibly a few other bits, *cough*). They caught my eye for their bright colours and very heavy 3 for 2 promotion on all Bourjois products at the moment (I even got a free pair of sunglasses)...total sucker I know!. Anyway, as I hadn't seen these before and being a fan of the Revlon version of the lip crayon thingamajig's I decided to have a good old swatching session. I was so impressed with how they looked on my hand and the colour pay off that I picked up 3 of the 4 colour range.

The 'Colour Boost Glossy Finish Lipstick' claims to be waterproof, glossy and to last for 10 hours. After giving these a good try I would say that the lasting power is impressive but definitely not 10 hours before you need a sneaky top up slick. However; I consider the lasting power to be good at a rough 4-6 hour wear, even when stuffing my face. The finish of these lipsticks are glossy at first but I'd say it transfers to more of a satin finish after an hour or so, I actually don't think that is an issue at all because the product is not drying, and manages to maintain a good level of hydration from the glossy to satin texture. The colour pay off is great too, 'Red Sunrise' and 'Peach on the Beach' have an opaque finish where as 'Orange Punch' is more sheer although still noticeable on the lips.

And, just in case you weren't sure on these, the colour 'Peach on the Beach' is a dupe for MAC's very popular limited edition 'Cut a Caper' lipstick shade that is quite hard to come by. I'm sure Viviannadoesmakeup and LLYMLRS will be glad to hear that!

T-B: MAC Cut a Caper & Bourjois Peach on the Beach.

I will certainly be keeping a couple of these in my handbag at the ready over the Summer season, will you?

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Febstagram #2

2013-03-03T15:52:00.002+00:00

1. Current read. 2. Ally's green feast. 3. Fudge transforming into sprout head. 4. Bobble bottle is my gym friend. 5. Wagamamas firecracker parawns. 6. Fishtail. 7. Trying to save my lips. 8. Grumpy Fudge having his claws trimmed. 9. Essie's Chinchilly. 10. Valentine's bunny earrings. 11. Blogging. 12. Fudge ate my Mischa Barton bag. 13. Pasty. 14. New rabbit cage plans. 15. So much goodness. 16. Druelling over my boots. 17. Fudge refusing to be brushed with anything other than a Tangle Teezer. 18. Buried in a sea of hair. 19. Bunny cage supplies. 20. Prepping for comic relief 2013.

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Lush Loves: Shower Gels

2013-02-21T18:31:00.000+00:00


L-R: Rub, Rub, Rub shower scrub £7.95. Snow Fairy shower gel £10.65 & Happy Hippy shower gel £6.25.

Rub Rub Rub is described as 'a tub containing everything you need to spring clean your skin' and I personally find it does just that, it's featured ingredient is sea salt which is more finely milled than the 'Big Shampoo' so it is less abrasive on the body but still coarse enough for a good exfoliation. This smells very fresh and 'zingy', as well as sea salt it's packed with lemon juice leaving it with a very vibrant scent perfect for refreshing tired skin. My favourite lush scrub by far.

Snow Fairy is probably Lush's most famous product, being limited edition and only making it's way on the the shelves of their stores at Christmas time I make sure it's on every Christmas list I make and I usually pick up a few bottles myself to boot. It is a candy pink, bubble gum scented shower gel that can also be used as a shampoo for those days when you're in a mad rush (have to admit, I've only used it as shampoo once, it wasn't bad either I just prefer to use products that have an individual function). It's by far the girliest thing I own and it's very much a love or hate fragrance. I love it, have done for years and right now I'm making my way through the 6 bottles in my bathroom.

Happy Hippy is my go to shower gel when I wake up all zombified in the morning, it doesn't happen too often as I tend to be quite good with mornings but when I'm extra tired and struggling to keep my eyes open; this stuff hits the spot, it's got a fresh grapefruit scent and once lathered into your skin kicks out a boost of freshness that will get you through that morning slump. I'd recommend this if you're one that wakes up with your eyes still closed!

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Product Fails #1

2013-02-11T20:58:00.000+00:00

L-R (clockwise): LEE STAFFORD Bleach Blondes Shampoo & Conditioner, BIG SEXY HAIR Volumising Blow Dry Gel, MAC To the Beach Body Oil, NIVEA Lip Butter in Raspberry Rose.

Normally I don't like to bash products that don't work for me (especially ones that so many people love as sometimes that can be a little controversial), but- I do believe in honesty and if certain products were just okay but I probably wouldn't repurchase them, then I wouldn't be in a position to moan about them. However, the ones above are ones that I looked into reviews of and had high hopes for, and to be perfectly honest; they have left me annoyed at myself for buying them.

So, let's get to it...

Bleach Blondes Shampoo and Conditioner
So I got these things because I'm so original that I have my hair ombre'd unlike everyone else, and they came with high recommendation from pretty much everyone and their dog/cat/rabbit/parrot (delete as appropriate), but in all honesty they are really naff in my opinion, the shampoo is AWFUL! I don't say that in exaggeration my friends, no- this literally left my hair greasier and flatter than before I'd washed it; so much so, that when I'd got out of the shower and dried my hair after using this, I actually though that my hair dryer had not properly dried my hair when in fact it had. Then in big rage of annoyance I had to get back into the shower to start the whole hair washing & drying process again, and that is no mean feat when you have hair the length of mine. I did give it another chance a week or so after naively thinking that I may get a different result. I did not. The conditioner was pretty average too, it wasn't as much of a disaster as the shampoo but nothing special and I didn't notice any difference in brightening my blonde ends, or removing any brassy tones more so than any other 'colour' shampoo and conditioners.

Volumising Blow Dry Gel
I used this every time I blow dried my hair for around 2-3 weeks, it didn't work for me the very first time so again, being optimistic I gave it another bunch of chances using different amounts of product and, drying my hair at different levels of dampness- this just left my hair looking no different than usual without the product and it also caused static. I struggle very much with getting any volume in my hair but I read lots of reviews on Make up Alley about this, and I was really wishing it would work as well for me as it had for other people, but it didn't. Overall I was pretty disappointed and will not continue to use it as I don't like to walk around looking like I have been caught up in a minor electrocution (static).

Body Oil
What was I thinking?!. Now I have to admit, this was one I did not do my research on. It was an impulse purchase at my local MAC counter donkeys ago when I was druelling over the 'To the Beach' collection. I really don't know what possessed me to buy it but somehow I ended up at the till with a body oil that I've now had for about 2 years and only my best friend Kelly has used for a night out once. I've not used this and I don't think I ever will, I think it's just a bit of a gimmicky product and you may as well add a bit of glitter to some water and splash it on your body if you want a bit of shimmer to your skin. (anyone want to take this off my hands?).

NIVEA Lip Butter
Massively hyped about around Christmas time when they hit the counters in UK drug stores shortly before making appearances elsewhere such as the US and Canada etc. People were going crazy for these little pots of goo, as did I- this smells awesome, so much raspberry goodness that I do actually feel some form of temptation to lick it (don't worry I shall restrain myself), but the actual product itself is a bit 'meh' I feel it really washed my lips out and made me pastier than I already am, it highlighted any dry skin on my lips and sunk into any cracks where my lips were chapped; it also didn't have any kind of nourishment pay off as it was a little greasy and felt rather heavy in texture. It didn't float my boat and I think I'll stick with my 500 other tubs of lip goo before I ever pick this one up again.

Have you ever tried any of these things out, if so- how did they work for you?

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Lush Loves: Hair

2013-02-08T21:52:00.000+00:00


No Drough Dry Shampoo: £6.50, BIG Shampoo: £11.25, Jungle Conditioner: £2.95

If you've read previous posts on this blog then you may be aware that I like to use products from companies that do not test on animals, Lush is infamous for being known by their animal friendly products and their eco friendly ethics...these are the primary reasons for which I am a VERY loyal lush customer, not to mention their products are uh-mazing and their customer service is lovely (although I am a regular now). These babies above are my top haircare picks.

This is the first in a series of (most likely) many that I will refer to as 'Lush Loves' and they will be my favourite product from different categories such as hair/ shower/ bath etc.

So let's get to the point...

NO DROUGHT (resists urge to place 'no doubt' band pun here)
Is my favourite dry shampoo overall, not just within lush, I'd previously tried Batiste, Boots and Superdrug's take on the dry shampoo front which all came in spray can forms. I found they made my hair look slightly grey/white-ish and would not last much longer than 5 minutes. As I try not to was my hair excessively I tend to rely a lot on dry shampoo for those in between days. This No Drought stuff is great, it's slightly less conventional as it comes in a talc- like powder form but it has a subtle scent of lemon and lasts for ages. I tend to get through a full bottle of this on average of 4 months and that is with usage of around 3-4 days a week. It also adds a touch of volume too so is good for those days where you're feeling a little flat.

BIG SHAMPOO
A bit on the pricer end of the spectrum but is a rather amazing product in my opinion, this is very largely consistent of salt, its a bit gooey in texture with large chunks of sea salt giving it a really fresh and breezy scent, when I first started to use this product I was really unsure of its texture. I've been using this for over a year now and I feel the absolute opposite; the salt pieces, although chunky give the scalp such a thorough cleanse that it almost makes you feel like your hair is unwashed (I know that sounds strange but you'll just have to take my word for it- or try it for yourself). If used sparingly this will usually last me approximately 2 months.

JUNGLE CONDITIONER
Is without a doubt my holy grail conditioner. It's one of those products that no -one seems to have high expectations of but it's just awesome. It's a steal at around £3 per bar, don't let that little thing deceive you now because this lasts me around 4 months at a time and leaves my hair feeling super soft. It has a lovely 'green' earthy scent- nothing too musky or over powering, just a little hint of fresh greenery that lingers around for a couple of days after washing (my fiancé still says that my hair smells nice after using this for about 2-3 years).

Let me know if you've ever tried any of these babies!

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Janstagram #1

2013-02-03T16:28:00.001+00:00

1. NYE Jenga session. 2. New Years day. 3. Ally up to mischief. 4. Topknot. 5. Got probably the last DIOR Amber rose shimmer powder in the country. 6. Book buying. 7. Bunny cuddles. 8. More book buying. 9. Dan trying out new hairstyles in Bluebeckers. 10. REALLY early morning sunrise. 11. Ally looking cute. 12. Getting organised. 13. Blog post. 14. Free stuff with Boots advantage points. 15. Trying By Terry Baume De Rose. 16. Blog post. 17. Sleepy Fudge. 18. Dr.Jart and I becoming friends. 19. Blog post. 20. The morning sun before the snow. 21. Snow in the car park at work. 22. Pen Ponds in Richmond Park covered in snow. 23. Essie Fear or Desire. 24. Trying the new Nivea lip butters. 25. Not what I was expecting in the post. 26. Brush laundry gone wrong. 27. Ben and Jerry's at the cinema. 28. Creme Brulee. 29. Losting the will to live at work and Costa saving me. 30. Possibility of vagina's for dinner.

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Subtle Scents

2013-01-29T18:59:00.001+00:00

L-R: Vera Wang Princess, Calvin Klein IN2U (her), Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue (her).

I'm pretty sure we're all familiar with the gazillions of fragrances on the market to make us feel just that little more luxurious (and a lot less stenchy). I've always been one that is fond of fragrance and these babies are my top 3, they're the only ones I ever wear and it's been that way for a couple of years, I feel they suit me well and each one could come in handy for a special occasion or pretty much whatever I am in the mood for on a day to day basis.

In the second image above you will notice a couple of tubes of body cream/ lotion/ butter (whatever you want to call it) that I received in a Christmas box along with much appreciated fragrances from friends and family. Now, I don't know about you but I usually find these things pointless as they just end up at the back of my cosmetics drawer and they're usually not seen again until I'm having a clear out and they are making their way to the bin!. Having said that, I decided to do something this January that I hadn't done before and actually use the lotion akin to the fragrance I was wearing, after reading the ingredients it occurred to me that the lotions that come in the ever familiar fragrance gifts sets actually contain a certain percentage of the fragrance; thus far making the perfume scent last longer on the skin when applied prior to a little spritz- so in the long haul resulting in the actual perfume product lasting longer; ideally you should not have to top up as frequently as you would when using the fragrance unaccompanied by the lotion it came with. I don't get too carried away with it, but what works well for me is just rubbing a little of the lotion into my arms prior to a spray on the wrists and across the body. I find that the fragrance does linger a little longer whilst the lotion gently moisturises my skin, I wouldn't say it's a life changing thing but I do find myself not having to top up my 'signature scents' as frequently as I did before, it's just a nice little nugget of girl knowledge to have in your pocket.

And...If you really like fragrance to stick around I have been known on occasion to put a couple of spritzes in my hair as it tends to cling to scents. (Let me know if you give it a go!).

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Winter Warmers

2013-01-20T16:12:00.001+00:00

Dan and I walking in Richmond Park

I'm a Snow Leopard...Gaaar!

Dan the Starfish!

Glade candles in Spiced Apple and Cinnamon & Warm Orange and Spice

Galaxy Hot Chocolate with Cream and Marshmallows

It's been a long cold winter and it doesn't show signs of ending any time soon. We're having a crazy snow weekend here in the South East of England; I am one who is very fond of the snow as I love the freshness of the air as it's falling, the crispness of it below your feet, and the way it makes everything look so clean. However, once the day is up and you're fingers are frozen from building snowmen, or your cheeks are numb from your walk in the good ole' white stuff, here are my tips for staying cosy....

1. Get yourself a nice cup of hot chocolate.
2. Light some festively scented candles.
3. Throw on the cosiest pyjamas you own- or even better; your most socially unacceptable onesie (in my case, my snowman onesie that makes me look like an overgrown toddler).
4. Snuggle on the sofa with a nice fleecy blanket and a movie.
5. And...relax!

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The New Kids on the Block

2013-01-16T15:03:00.002+00:00

Recently I've been trying out a few new things, the products are not new on the market but they are things that I have jumped on the bandwagon a little late with, here are my thoughts...

L-R: Revlon Colourstay foundation in 'Ivory', NARS Laguna Bronzer, Big Sexy Hair blow dry volumising gel, Dior amber diamond & Stila in the light palette.

Stila in the Light Palette: I bought this when it first came out because at the time there was so much hype surrounding the UD Naked palette that I though this was a great alternative- although, saying that, I had something else that was stealing my attention at the time and I only pulled this out from the back of my drawer to give it a go at the beginning of January. You don't get as many shadows as you do in the Naked palette which is reflected in the price as it's just £20; but I feel that for me these colours are much more wearable- as there are some really dark colours in the naked palette, I don't feel it would bode very well with my super pasty complexion as I am an NW15. There's a great mix of shimmer, glitter and matte shades in here for a plethora (ooh, fancy word) of looks. I'm currently loving the combination of the shade Kitten swept across the lid, and Bliss through the crease for a bit of subtle definition.

Sexy Hair Big Blow Dry Volumising Gel: Really disappointed me. I have awkward hair to get a bit of oomph! going as it is very long, thick in mass, but the hair itself is fine. I purchased this with some money I got from my family for Christmas from Beauty Bay, not only did it take forever to arrive at my doorstep but I have used this every time I have washed my hair since the beginning of January and it has done nothing, I think it even causes static. I shall try and work with it some other way as it has some really great reviews on Make up Alley, but at the moment it just really isn't working for me.

Revlon Colourstay Foundation, Combination/Oily: I'm really not sold on this one yet, I'm a little unsure of it, some days it looks nice on my skin and others it sits on top of my skin and leaves a really unnatural, cakey looking finish and I really cannot rock that look. I got the one for Combination/ Oily skin as I tend to have a slightly oily T zone. I am going to try this maybe with a less rich moisturiser or possibly a different application process to see if I get any better results...for the time being, I am still searching for my HG foundation or tinted moisturiser. (recommendations welcome).

Dior Amber Diamond: This was also quite a recent purchase with the Christmas money/vouchers from my family, I've had the Rose diamond before and loved it but I dropped it doing my make up on the train and it shattered beyond saving- I was gutted, especially as the shimmer bricks had been discontinued. I was amazed when I was shopping with my Christmas vouchers and my local boots counter had both the Rose AND Amber Diamond in stock, needless to say I snapped them up without hesitation as they were most likely the last 2 in the Country. There is not one thing I don't love about them...except maybe the price tag (luckily I had gift vouchers).

NARS Laguna Bronzer: I honestly don't know why I've never tried this before, I must have been in some crazy la la land boycotting this, there is so much hype around this product that I was certain it was going to disappoint me and that people had set my expectations too high, that; and also the fact that I was always a bit put off by the look of it, thinking it may be too orange for my skin. This bronzer is so lightly pigmented and so buildable that you'd have to be a toddler to go overboard when applying (possible slight exaggeration there), either way you'd have to be VERY heavy handed. This one has definitely made a lasting impression and I am already thinking I would repurchase it.

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Battle Of The Balms

2013-01-14T12:37:00.000+00:00


L-R: Nuxe Reve De Miel- £9.50, Korres Lip Butter in Guava- £6, MAC Tendertone in Hot and Saucy- £14, Dior Creme De Rose- £19.50.

Here in the UK, Winter is well and truly still upon us (in fact its snowing right now). During this time my lips suffer horrendously...Over the years I've tried countless lip balms/moisturisers to avoid painful, chapped and splitting skin on my lips. My top picks are these 4 wonders, they're all equally as great as each other for different reasons.

Nuxe- This is great for putting on just before bed as its really thick and matte so it keeps my lips moisturised overnight and is still there when I wake up in the morning. A lot of people say that it's great as a primer for lipstick due to it's matte texture but I find that it leaves my lipstick looking bitty and gives it a poor finish.

Korres- Is the one that won't break the bank but does what it needs to do, It's not a miracle product so I wouldn't say it has any lip repairing qualities once it's worn off but it keeps the lips nicely moisturised.

MAC- The tendertones are limited edition and difficult to get your hands on, but I swept this one up during the mac 'Cook' collection where it was being promoted. It leaves a great subtle red tint on the lips whilst being moisturising but not overly glossy. I wish I have picked up a few of these.

Dior- I tend to use this only a few times a week as it comes with a whoppingly hefty price tag for the amount of product you get 7.2g, I use my lip scrub to get rid of any excess skin and exfoliate the lips, and then I pop this on afterwards. It's a very luxurious product in its texture, it's very thick and lasts a good couple of hours.

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Reading Is Sexy?!...

2013-01-13T12:34:00.000+00:00

I'm not really one who likes the phrase 'New Years Resolutions' as I believe you can make changes to your life at any point- no matter how big or small, you just need the drive to do it.

So, in spirit of my no 'New Year's Resolutions' rule. This year I have made a few agreements with myself...

Read More
Once upon a time I used to be a huge bookworm, I'd read everywhere I went to the point where it almost made me unsociable. Then all of a sudden technology took over and my love for reading just fell flat on itself- fickle being and all!. I recently felt a huge need to get back to my reading ways, not to the point where I become a social hermit again, but just enough so that its something nice that I can do for me for a bit of escapism. The above 5 shall kick off my new reading revamp.

Be Better to My Hair
My hair doesn't receive copious amounts of poor treatment such as over styling and excessive use of heat products, but I have noticed that I have neglected my hair as of late, my hair is long, ombre'd and thick...as in, I have a lot of hair in mass but the hair itself is rather fine. Since beginning to ombre my hair in early 2011 I have noticed that the ends can look a little worse for wear from time to time. So people, this is my vow to give my hair a little TLC by protecting it from heat, use a hair mask at least once a week and to get my ends trimmed when they are looking needy.

Make the Best of Each Situation
This one is pretty self explanatory, but pretty much try and be positive in situations, even if they are a little sticky- after all, things could always be worse!

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Button Pusher

2012-11-04T20:59:00.002+00:00

Before


During

During the Summer I was shopping online at Yumi for some dresses when I came across a lovely cream coloured coat for a barganous £15. Knowing how cold it can be in England I swept it up thinking that it would be great for the cooler seasons. The coat is a lovely fit and is a very flattering shape as it is fitted on top and flairs out slightly at the waist. The only problem is that it has these horrible plastic buttons that were painted gold and they looked a little cheap and de valued the style of the coat, not to mention 2 of them just flew off randomly one day and I was chasing buttons down the street before they rolled off into the darkness forever.

Rather than have to purchase another coat that could turn out to be rather expensive I turned my sights onto eBay, I searched for vintage brass/gold looking buttons and found some lovely inexpensive ones for approx £3 for a pack of 10. I bought them to replace the horridly tacky ones that were currently on the coat to vamp it up a bit and make it look that little bit more presentable. I think it worked out really well and gives the coat a little vintage inspired twist.

I'm even thinking of changing the buttons on one of my other coats now to see if I can get that extra bit of life out of it.

After

As the Weather Turns...

2012-10-20T14:49:00.000+01:00

L-R Angora Cardi. Stylenomics. Chinchilly. Sole Mate. Navy. Raspberry.

...So do my favourite nail polish picks. During the somewhat brief Summer period we had in England I was all about the amazing bright neon nails, Orly's 'Melt your Popsicle' and Essie's 'Bikini so Teeny' in particular.

Summer is now long gone, and it is time to turn our attention to those cosy pyjama nights in on the sofa, cinnamon hot chocolate, and most importantly our Autumn/Fall nail polish picks. Since the colder season has so swiftly kicked in I very quickly found myself switching out those brights for the more muted and creamy tones of the season, more specifically I find myself obsessing the Essie side of life in the form of 'Angora Cardi', 'Stylenomics', 'Chinchilly' and 'Sole Mate' to name a few- there are still some Barry M regulars that are creeping their way onto my fingernails, but I think it's safe to say that Essie is beginning to steal my heart ever since they crept onto counters in Boots and Superdrug stores.

Since my last post my Boyfriend Dan and I have got Engaged and getting married in 2014.

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Skin Saviours (Eczema Sufferers)

2012-06-10T13:25:00.000+01:00

Face


Aveda all- sensitive range: Cleanser £17.00, Toner £17.00, Moisturiser £34.00

A few months ago I had a horrific flare up of patchy redness and bumps on my face, it was located in-between my eyebrows and above my lips near my nose. I tried loads of stuff to get rid of it including Liz Earle, Garnier, Lush and several face masks; I also tried to limit wearing make up during this process.

After about 2 months of trying to get rid of this 'thing' on my face I decided to try and cover it up with the heaviest foundation I own (Mac studio sculpt, NW15) and visit the doctor. I was then diagnosed with 'acne' at the good old age of 24, I explained to the doctor that I felt this was unlikely as I usually have rather well behaved skin. I was given an anti-septic roller ball lotion to apply on the effected areas of my skin twice a day.

After using this for a couple of weeks I found that if anything it made the 'thing' on my face worse, it stung when I used the lotion and made the redness on my face so dry, flaky and sore when I made any sort of expression. So, back to the doctor I went...

Thankfully, I had a different doctor this time who correctly diagnosed me with Seborrhoeic Dermatitis, it is a form of eczema and most commonly know as 'cradle cap' in babies. The doctor gave me a cream treatment that was much like a thick moisturiser to apply daily (Nizoral 2%). It took a week or so to kick in but has worked a treat.

At the time of diagnosis I asked the doctor if there was anything I could be doing to prevent future flare ups; and although I was advised it was something I couldn't control, I was informed that I should switch to skincare specific to sensitive skin along with an Aveda recommendation. I know what you're thinking "that's haircare right", well I thought that too but it turns out they do a rather acclaimed 'All- sensitive' skincare range; not gonna lie, it comes with a hefty price tag but after using it I can quite honestly say it's the bees knees (especially for eczema). It reduces redness and is really light and refreshing on the skin. I didn't think much of it when I first pumped it out of the bottle- it has a rather runny and milky consistency, that happens to be the most beneficial thing about the product as it means you only need 1-2 pumps each use and it just sinks right into the skin rather than sitting on it and causing excess moisture.

After my experience I can honestly say this skincare range deserves a lot more hype that it currently gets.

Body


Body Shop Body Butter: 200ml £12.50, 50ml £5.00

I took a little Body Shop boycott last year as I discovered that they got taken over by L'Oreal who test on animals, I try very hard to research products and choose ones that are cruelty free. After many conversations in several different stores I now feel comfortable enough to re-light my love for the Body Shop products as their values still remain as they always were (cruelty free).

Addicted to these bad boys am I?! Yes indeed, above is currently my stash of body butters which is by far their most famous product; and I even have some more on the way as I got sucked into an online offer, Oops!

I know I don't need that many tubs of body butter at once but I can assure you they will be used. I am currently moisturising daily as we are approaching summer and they are great for taking on holiday when the sun starts to dry out my skin. (Tunisia in September, can't wait). I am an avid fan of these products, they are very nourishing, leave your skin very smooth, soft and even out any patchy discolouration on the body. I aim to try out all the varieties they have available.

What are your current skin saviours?

Where to find me:
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Isabella Plantation

2012-04-03T19:09:00.000+01:00

After a hectic show week last week it's been very much the opposite this week. I know most people would appreciate the rest, but I am one of those that would rather have too much to do than not enough.

I took a trip to Isabella Plantation in Richmond Park to while away some of the boredom...and it just so happens to be one of my favourite places in the world. Spring is setting in, the streams are flowing and the flowers are blooming; below are some images I captured from my wonderful afternoon walk.

If you wish to post these photos please let me know and credit them to Kerry Marie Wroe.

PMA

2012-03-27T14:29:00.001+01:00

No, not PMS!..PMA- It's an abbreviation for the phrase 'Positive Mental Attitude'. If you're a regular reader then you'll know that 2012 so far hasn't been the best or easiest year for me. I had difficulties in my personal life, fall out's with friends and my contract ended and didn't get renewed on my job; I then spent 2 months interviewing for another job, got told I was successful and the company then changed their mind (this was the job I obviously spoke too soon about in my last post). So that pretty much sucked. I am however still trying to maintain a Positive Mental Attitude- This doesn't mean that I am completely unrealistic, it just means that I am being more realistic and upbeat about situations remembering that I will learn from each situation and bounce back, and realising that I can only do so much until certain situations are no longer in my control. A good friend told me you can't control people, situations and reactions...I think it's one of the most helpful pieces of advice I've been given throughout my 24 years, because it's one of the truest things I've ever heard.

The first performance of a show I'm doing "The Man Who Came to Dinner" is tonight, we've been rehearsing since Mid January and it's just crept up all of a sudden; I can hardly believe it. The nerves are starting to creep in and I have quite a large role so hopefully all will be well (crosses fingers). Despite nerves, I am really looking forward to it.

Last weekend my other half and I went up North for my Nan's 70th- we had a lovely time and it was one of those very few occasions where all my family was actually together. The cake was Uh-MAZING!

I start my new job in April (hopefully this one will work out), it's something I really care about so I'm really looking forward to it and feel I can do a good job once I learn the ropes. It's a company that works with Animals and we all know how much I love those- speaking of which, Dan and I got another rabbit to keep Fudge company. Her name is Ally; we only got her on Thursday so she is still settling in, we are her 3rd family and her 2nd adoption...she can be quite timid which leads me to suspect she may have been poorly treated in the past, her and Fudge seem to like each other very much and we're currently trying to bond them so that they will become friends for life.


Fudge & Ally

Having a positive mental attitude never hurt anyone. If all else fails...

Or...Adopt a bunny :)

Bring Me Sunshine

2012-02-15T16:21:00.000+00:00

If you live in England you'll know what a bleak January we had (if you didn't, you do now)...the weather had just began to become mild after the new year and SNAP, it plummeted to as low as -7C overnight in some areas and was bitterly cold and miserable for the best part of 2 weeks.

I'd like to say I enjoyed the weather as we had a couple of snow flurries and I LOVE the snow- But in all honesty I had a very miserable January and the weather just made it feel worse. A series of bad things happened and it was just one thing after another from losing my job, to falling out with people, to a community I'm involved with giving me a hard time, right up to receiving a hefty fine from a certain area- but we'll not indulge in details from the list I just reeled off (to name a few). I think the highlight of January was that I had rehearsals to go to every Wednesday and Thursday evening, I drank countless hot beverages and I got to spend a bit more time with Dan because I lost my job.

Tumblr became my best friend and I found lots of images that fitted perfectly to how I felt, both good and bad as I was so up and down throughout the month. You can find some of them below, they may be total contradictions of one another but I guess that's what happens when you're stuck in your own company for such a long time going insane and singing along to lyric videos of Adele's songs on Youtube.

After various bad events, job interviews, and rants to people that I now consider friends that I didn't consider friends before (it's amazing how surprising it is that the people who you thought didn't really care will be there for you when you're going through a hard time; the best way to develop friendships I find). I now have a couple of new friends around that dedicate generous amounts of their time for me, a new job with good career prospects and I will hopefully be able to pay off some debts so I can go on holiday to this beautiful destination...

Next month Dan and I are going to visit my family to celebrate my Nan's 70th Birthday; I've never looked forward to visiting my family this much EVER, I think it'll do good for me to get back to my roots for the weekend and be around people that just get the fact that I'm a bit of an oddball.

January Ramble...

2012-01-16T12:22:00.000+00:00

Happy 2012!

I hope you enjoyed Vlogmas...for those of you who watched. If you didn't you can pop over to my YouTube channel and take a look (Dan is in a few of those, so for those of you who are curious about the bf- you'll see him there). I intend on getting Dan to record me doing a few acting bits so I can post them on my YouTube but I haven't quite got around to it yet, that's the problem with dark nights- not too many hours available to film.

It occurred to me that I mentioned a while back about having new acting headshots but I never got around to posting them so here are a few;

Photographer: Christoper Mann

Back in December I was in a production of Guys & Dolls with the Lantern Arts Centre (a local theatre company). It was so much fun, I go to play one of the hot box girls and somehow managed to be ill over the entire production but that always happens when I do any performances in December.

Yes: Your eyes see correctly- I am wearing a Snowman onesie :D

As I enjoyed Guys and Dolls so much, I auditioned for the LAC's next show last week, they're going to be staging a play called 'The Man Who Came to Dinner' which is an excellent comedy; when we were reading the script in the auditions we had to stop so many times because people were laughing so hard. I got cast in the production as Miss. Preen and start rehearsals this Wednesday, I can't wait. The show will take place at the end of March.

I'm off to meet my friend's new kitten now, a ginger tabby cat called Maximus. Until next time...

Happy December...Vlogmas!

2011-12-04T15:45:00.000+00:00

Howdy Doody,

It's been a long time and yes, I have missed you as much as you have missed me :p

Anyway...I am going to be taking part in VLOGMAS on youtube which means I will be vlogging every day of December up until Christmas. Yeeeeeey!

If you want to watch my vlogmas videos you can find them on my youtube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/messyhairandoddsocks

Please say hello if you stop by to follow my journey through December.

x x x

Check Me Out!

2011-09-21T23:25:00.000+01:00

Sorry, no overly exciting post for folks today...unless you consider my website an excitement?!

Anyways, I made a website to promote myself as a performer. As the title of this post suggests, you should check it out here: www.kerrymariewroe.moonfruit.com.

Feedback is very welcome- In fact, it's encouraged.

Happy Viewing.

Run Kerry...Run!

2011-07-31T16:59:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was my 10K run for the Race for Life at Clapham Common, it was a really hot day to run that distance in the heat...but, I did it. I finished the 10k in 1hr and 8min with a rather painful blister on the inside of my right foot and some very swollen hands- I found that rather strange but I put it down to the heat and dehydration.

It was hard work, but totally worth it. I found it really difficult towards the last Kilometre and then three girls that were jogging behind me were singing their out of breath renditions of Journey's 'Don't Stop Believing' and S Club 7's 'Bring it all Back'...needless to say, I joined in and that was enough encouragement to get through the last hurdle.

Take 1min off the time, it had just passed 1min on the timer when I crossed the START line.

My Race for Life Sponsor page will remain open for a couple of weeks, please show your support for my efforts and give what you can, you can do this by visiting my fundraising page here.

And now, a much sadder tale...

Dear cybershot, we had good times, bad times, and lots of laughing at Fudge times. There were moments where you shocked me with your blinding flashy powers, but all the way...you stood by me and helped me capture some wonderful memories. Even after the time I dropped you and almost broke your lens- you kept on fighting through, and the time when little Jake dropped you on the floor. But sadly, your time- our time has come to an end. Oh, how I will miss you, and no matter what the other gadgets in technology heaven tell you...you were my favourite (until I find my new favourite that is). May you remember our fond times together, forever...and, may you rest in peace. Goodbye my beloved camera!

And, of course...a more positive note. Here is a photo of Fudge sleeping :)

Things can only get better...

2011-07-21T11:26:00.000+01:00

This has without a doubt been one of the most difficult weeks of my life in years and it's only Thursday...I refuse to let the week's event's get the better of me. And when things are bad- I live with the comforting thought that surely they could always be worse.

So, just remember this...

...Even if they are your upstairs neighbour and have caused a leak in your bathroom, and ruined your electrical wiring for the 5th time in 2 months!!!

It Looks Like a Transformer...

2011-07-14T18:43:00.001+01:00

I am currently waiting for my friend Stef- fanny (ha ha!) to come and pick me up so I can go to hers and watch HP7 Part 1...OMG I know, I totally haven't seen it yet and need to watch it before the last EVER film comes out in the cinemas TOMORROW...can you believe it?!...Me neither.

I've been uber (German word for super...geek!) tired this week, hence the above photie.

Karra came to town on Monday night and we went to Thorpe Park on Tuesday, it was a wicked day and the queue's weren't too bad so we managed to get on everything. I felt pretty sick for most of the day as we had donuts for breakfast and then had a day of roller coasters...must remember not to do that in future. Oh, and we saw a car in the car park that looked like a transformer.

These fruit bowls look really good...I could just eat them off my computer screen. (I didn't try...honest) :p

I'm currently scheduling new actor's headshots for August as I have an audition coming up in September, I'm really looking forward to it as the photographer's work is brilliant and it's a guy I went to college with so I think that might help me not feel so un- photogenic, you can check his work out here. I think I looked really fat in the last photo's I had so I want new ones.

That's the Way We Get By...

2011-07-07T15:34:00.000+01:00

Classy lady, I know!...Fudge is even classier- he ate this afterwards!

The weather is totally bipolar today, one minute there's a monsoon; the next the sun is beaming. It's driving me up the wall, it's my day off work and I can't plan or really do much for fear of drowning if I leave the flat.

I heard back from the "Chess" auditions, I didn't get a principal role...it seems that they've cast it a little older than my playing age. I'm still going to be doing the show though, which is cool.

A great incentive has been going on at work recently, in fact it just ended and I'm waiting to hear who won it. The prize is a one night stay at the Splash Landings Hotel for up to four people, with two day entry into Alton Towers theme park with ultimate fastrack passes too...so, pretty nifty prize (it's worth around £500 in total). I was top of the incentive for a while until it was revealed that the original report was incorrect and I was in fact top lead with another work colleague. The incentive was supposed to end on Thursday 30th July but we drew so they continued it for just the both of us until Tuesday. I'd be lying if I said I didn't want to win, but more than anything I just want the whole thing to be over, it started off fun but now it's driving me insane; sometimes I wish I wasn't so competitive. And I also feel a bit let down by how mis-leading the original reports were.

I'm anxiously waiting for Lucy to send me my handcrafted phone case at the moment too, it's gonna be blingtastic. If you want to check out Lucy's handmade cases click here. There's currently around a month wait for orders as she attaches each little rhinestone, gem and decoration herself. I really really want mine now...so impatient I am. I requested a turquoise/ teal color scheme with flowers, be mine love hearts and the Eiffel tower- oui oui?!

I get to see Karra on Tuesday, it was her birthday last week so we're having a belated celebration and going to Thorpe Park. I used to see her all the time and we used to volunteer at Wildlife Aid together but she left me to go and work with the big cats at Longleat Safari Park (damn her). I'm really looking forward to it, it's gonna be a day filled with mischievous antics I'm sure. If you want to see Karra's blog you can click here.

I'm on the left & Karra on the right

And finally...

I really want to learn how to do this waterfall braid, it's uh-mazing! (image courtesy of google).

I REALLY like Lilt, it seems increasingly difficult to get hold of these days...

Le Other Blog

2011-06-30T14:04:00.000+01:00

A couple of posts back I mentiond that I had another blog for a while, I will no longer be using that blog but I though you might want to take a look at it anyway, all future posts WILL be posted on THIS blog. You can find my old blog here: http://www.messyhairandoddsocks.blogspot.com/